The Cicero Berwyn Education Initiative (CBEI), through grant support from the Arthur Foundation, has initiated an extensive range of school-based programs that are increasing academic opportunities for hundreds of families, and establishing collaborative relationships with school and school district administrators for continued growth and development.
The Chicago teachers’ Center has worked to strengthen the educational pipeline and to provide support for transitions through: increasing the funding base for improving the quality and quantity of programs at different stages; developing links between the programs across transitions; and building community networks of involvement to sustain program activities focusing on family involvement in schools and in early college awareness and readiness.
The following elements are sustained in all CTC Cicero-Berwyn activities to ensure this consistent focus:

Multi-disciplinary staff of parent mentors, college tutors, and professional academics, a high percentage of whom are Cicero-Berwyn school graduates and/or residents

College articulation activities

Parent development opportunities

Bilingual and bicultural resources

The approach we use emphasizes: ongoing dialogue, mentorship and follow-through with individual students and families; using surveys and program feedback by participants in continuous development towards establishing programs that will become a permanent part of the schools; developing parent capacity to take on roles as parent advocates and mentors; and working with school-community leaders to assume the roles of community teachers.